Irene Bedard Narrations
The Making of 'Pocahontas': A Legend Comes to Life (1995 Documentary) * "Hello, my name is Irene Bedard. And this is the original site of historic Jamestown, Virginia. Pocahontas was born near here 400 years ago. She was the daughter of the chief of a group of Native American tribes called the Powhatans. Her real name was Matawacha, but she was always referred to by her nickname, Pocahontas, which meant little mischief. Now the thrilling events of her live have inspired Walt Disney Pictures to create their 33rd animated feature. A tale of passion and prejudice of love and hope. The story of one of the great American heroines. The story of Pocahontas." * "Based on the fable and folklore that surrounds her story, Disney's Pocahontas features the voice talents of Mel Gibson's heroic Captain John Smith, David Ogden Stiers as greedy Governor Ratcliffe, Russell Means as Pocahontas' wise and loving father, Chief Powhatan, Academy Award winner Linda Hunt is the mystical Grandmother Willow and Broadway star Judy Kuhn has the singing voice of Pocahontas, Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken and Tony award-winning lyricist Stephen Schwartz have created seven new songs." * "I am the voice of Pocahontas in the film and I'm also your guide for this behind-the-scenes adventure into the making of a Disney animated feature. You are about to meet the artists, animators and the creative talents who have joined forces to bring one of our country's earliest and most exciting romantic adventures to the screen." * "Disney Animation has always been larger than life. Somehow, Disney artists have always been able to breathe realistic behavior and personality into their animated characters and come up with those great stories that touch our emotions and connect with something deep within us. With Pocahontas, the Disney Studios has broken new ground by basing an animated feature on a real person." * "Supervising animator Glean Keane has been an important part of the Disney family for 20 years. He is the animator who brought the Beast to life in Beauty and the Beast and he put the balance in Aladdin's step. But for Disney's Pocahontas, Glen faced a new set of challenges." * "Disney's Pocahontas is filled with excitement, drama and romance. The story begins in 1607 with the departure of the Virginia Company from a London port, their mission to explore a new land called America, under the direction of Governor John Ratcliffe and return with gold and any other riches they can find. They are accompanied by an experienced English soldier, Captain John Smith, whose duty is to provide security for the expedition. But Smith is an adventurer, heart, a man who is eager to explore new lands and face new challenges. This new world that John Smith and his settler friend Thomas were about to discover the areas surrounding the Jamestown settlement in Virginia, who was populated by the Powhatan Indians. The Powhatans were deeply spiritual, their culture was based on a strong appreciation and respect for nature and their environment. It is a clash between the values of these two civilizations, the Powhatans and the English and the bond of love between the daughter of the Powhatan chief and an English rogue that is at the center of the story of Pocahontas." * "This monument stands on the original side of Jamestown, now owned and protected by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. This is the spot where 104 English colonists landed in 1607, the year Pocahontas and John Smith first met. Over the years, the story of the beautiful Pocahontas and the dashing Captain Smith has evolved into an epic romantic legend. A land of historical fact and manta-size fantasy, but there's a great deal of disagreement among many historians about the true details this event. Though the film was inspired by the folklore and fables surrounding the legend of Pocahontas, Disney filmmakers knew that the character of Pocahontas was at the heart of the story. They realized somehow they have to get to know her if they were going to capture her spirit." * "This is the Susan Constant Jamestown settlement in Virginia, a living history museum located next to the side of the original Jamestown. This Susan Constant is a full-scale replica of one of the three ships that brought Captain John Smith and the English colonists of Virginia. In 1607, the English believed that the New World has a place to find fortune and glory. But what did Pocahontas think when she first saw the billowing sails of the Susan Constant? That was one of the first questions the Disney filmmakers asked when they began work on the film. How would Pocahontas react to the English settlers? What would she think? What would she feel? What kind of person was Pocahontas? Before they could tell her story, they would have to get to know her." * "The Disney creative team knew right away that the legend of Pocahontas had all of the ingredients of a great film. They began to develop the script and storyline by conducting intensive research into Pocahontas' story. At the same time, art director Mike Giaimo had to figure out how the film should look." * "To ensure that the feeling and tone of Pocahontas accurately reflected the spirit of the Native Americans depicted in the film, the filmmaker is consulted with a variety of technical experts, historians and Native American leaders. Actor Russell Means has been active in Native American issues for years, the filmmakers cast Russell in the role of Chief Powhatan, the leader of his tribe and the father of Pocahontas. They also consulted with him to ensure that they were accurate in the way the film depicted early Native Americans." * "The Disney animators knew that somehow they had to capture the personality and character of Pocahontas, animator Glen Keane traveled to Virginia to absorb the ambience of the actual location of the story." * "The more they learned, the more Pocahontas' story captivated the imaginations of the Disney filmmakers. But to make the characters completely believable, they had to find the right actors to provide the character's voices. While the animators could capture the image of the characters, the actors had to capture their spirit." * "If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew and never knew. That's one of lyricists Stephen Schwartz's favorite lines from the 'Colors of the Wind'. One of the new songs written by him and composer Alan Menken for the film, Pocahontas. That line is really at the heart of the film because it means that if you try to see things from someone else's point of view, you will gain a great wisdom and a deep understanding of others. When actors are asked to perform a character voice in a Disney animated film, they're not being asked to merely read words. They are being asked to totally focus their acting talents on bringing their particular character to life. And when an actor really gets under the skin of his character, he may learn things he never knew and never knew." * "I loved my role as a speaking voice of Pocahontas. I think the story of Pocahontas is one of the most beautiful love stories ever told." * "Another voice fits perfectly with Pocahontas as well, the beautiful singing voice of Judy Kuhn." * "Actor David Ogden Stiers was challenged to play two parts." * "Casting the human character who's challenging enough, but how do you find someone to play a 400-year-old tree? Well, you find an Academy Award-winning actress named Linda Hunt." * "Watching a Disney animated film is like watching a magic trick, audiences can get so absorbed in the movie that they actually begin to feel, the characters are feeling. Bringing a Disney animated feature to life takes a lot of talent and hard work, but there are a few secrets that we are about to discover." * "In the film, Pocahontas senses she's on the verge of a great personal discovery. She believes that something is waiting for her, just around the riverbend. Making a Disney animated features a journey filled with discovery for everyone, the artists, animators and all the technicians who work behind the scenes. Each new film has its own unique set of challenges that must be overcome before the final product can be put before the public. There is no instruction manual on how to do it. Each project is a new experience. So what is the secret? How did the Disney artists keep making such good movies?" * "Supervising animator John Pomeroy is a history buff, who has done extensive reading about early America, including the actual autobiographical writings and journals of the real Captain John Smith." * "The supervising animator for Governor Ratcliffe found a way to create personality from geometry." * "Meeko's supervising animator Nick Ranieri drew his inspiration from himself." * "Dave Pruiksma studies films on hummingbirds to come up with all the right moves for Flit." * "Some animators are inspired by the performance of the actor playing the part of the character they're drawing. Some animators look to other classic Disney films for inspiration while others research and experiment and think about the character they're working on for a very long time, but better in Disney animator Ruben Aquino, supervising animator of Powhatan has learned to trust magic." * "Early Native Americans use drums to communicate, their rhythms carried messages and were full of meaning. In Pocahontas, there are seven new songs from Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken and Tony award-winning lyricist Stephen Schwartz. These songs help communicate what the characters are thinking and feeling. Their songs that carry messages and are full of meaning. Ever since The Little Mermaid, Alan Menken has been giving his own kind of special meaning to Disney animated films through his Academy Award-winning musical scores. Successful partnership with the Walt Disney Studios has continued through Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and now, Pocahontas. He knows how important it is to be brought into each new project from the start." * "Another memorable Menken-Schwartz song from Pocahontas, it's a beautiful love ballad 'If I Never Knew You', performed by Shanice Wilson and John Secada." * "Sometimes during the process of creative discovery, a few things might just happen. The animators call them creative accidents. But unfortunately, they are rare. Typically, the magic of Disney animation is the result of hard effort, tireless experimentation and a commitment to continually push the work forward to achieve the best result possible. Each Disney animator has their own unique way of solving creative problems. But regardless of the method they choose to reach their goal, all of the creative people we've met here really enjoy what they're doing. And that's the greatest secret of all, because making Disney's Pocahontas was truly a labor of love. I'm Irene Bedard and thank you for watching!" Category:Narrations